The most common pharmaceutical dosage forms for oral administration include compressed tablets and capsules. These dosage forms are large in size and must be taken by swallowing them generally with a liquid. Mostly paediatric and geriatric patients have a difficulty in swallowing them or are unable to swallow them.
Conventionally, the tablet is crushed into a powder or the drug formulation in the form of powder, granules or pellets is taken out of the capsule and is then administered along with an edible carrier that is easily accepted by a patient, for example, honey, curd, custard, juices or just plain water. Whereas this method is particularly difficult for elderly and weak patients, who have problems of dexterity, even nursing staff may find it difficult to hold, open and dispense the powder or granular contents therein without spillage and loss of a part of the dose.
Therefore, there is a need, heretofore not met, for providing a device for cutting capsules filled with drug formulation and simultaneously forming a passageway for dispensing a drug formulation, particularly transferring or sprinkling onto an edible carrier such as honey or soft food, without spillage.